| baked goods & tales |

‘Tis the season for remembering! Christmas is synonymous with nostalgia. There are certain traditions, certain songs, and certain bakes good that bring you right back to a moment, a memory, a person. Pizzelle did that for me this year; it brought me back to my tight lipped, side smirking Nonno. You see, my Nonno didn’t even like pizzelle, he would question why we waste our time making it. While making these cookie with my Nonna and Zia I was reminded of how much he did not like them, but how much he loved seeing his grandchildren’s faces light up when they were put on the table and disappeared by handfuls in seconds. Somewhere up there, he’s smiling down, shaking his head that we wasted our time making them and can’t wait to see them disappear into his grandchildren’s bellies on Christmas Day.

Caramel Pizzelle

1 3/4 cup flour

2 tsps. baking powder

3 eggs

3/4 granulated sugar

1-2 tbsp. caramel flavour

1/2 cup butter, melted

Assembling the Pizzelle

In a microwave safe bowl, melt butter and let cool slightly. In a separate bowl, combine eggs, sugar and caramel flavour. Once the butter has cooled slightly, slowly stir into eggs and sugar.

In a large bowl stir together flour and baking powder. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture until perfectly combined.

Once pizzelle maker is heated, place a tablespoon of batter into maker and let cook for 30 seconds. Remove from pizzelle maker and let cool on wire rack.

Enjoy,

-Adele

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I have always been obsessed with the notion of ‘home’. Perhaps it is because my dad is a house builder or that the majority of my Pinterest boards are filled with kitchen, walk in closet, exterior landscaping, and secret library designs. I had a friend explain to the theory that home is not a place but a feeling. So it is the feeling of home I’m so in love with, not the building of it – that calming feeling of knowing you are exactly where you’re suppose to be, surrounded by unconditional love always. It is not a place, it is a feeling that exists regardless of location. Okay I’ll explain…

I visited my dad the other day and walked into the kitchen just like any other visit, expecting to see him sitting at the desk checking the messages on his landline, or sitting at the table finishing dinner. Instead, when I turned the corner, I saw one of the most familiar, comforting faces I could have ever been surprised with: my friend, well more of little brother from another family, was leaning perched against the kitchen counter like he had done almost every day since I was 12 and he was 10. He was home from his wonderful, successful life in England for a visit for the first time in over a year! I wrapped my arms around him, fought off some tears and was equally overwhelmed with happiness, surprise and reassurance that no matter how many km away, how many ocean lengths, or time zones somethings just stay the same. Seeing him there with that smirk and hearing his laugh, that felt like home. I felt like home.

This year I’m celebrating Thanksgiving with an extra helping of thanks from my feeling of home. If this feeling of home had a scent it would be pumpkin cinnamon buns to be exact. Make them and share them with the ones you’re thankful for this weekend and everyday, the ones that make you feel like home.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Buns

1/3 milk

2 tbsp butter

1/2 cup pumpkin

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1 tsp nutmeg

1 egg

1 egg

1 package of quick rising yeast

2 1/4 cup flour, plus more for dusting

Filling

1/3 cup margarine

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tbsp cinnamon

Maple Drizzle

1/4 cup margarine

3 tbsp milk

2/3 cup icing sugar

2 tbsp maple syrup

Assembling the Rolls

In a microwave safe bowl, heat butter and milk until lukewarm. Stir to melt butter and set aside. In a stand mixer, mix together pumpkin, sugar and nutmeg until combined. Slowly add milk and butter mixture, then egg and yeast. Gradually add flour until dough forms. Dough will be very soft.

Transfer dough from mixer to a greased bowl. Cover bowl and place in a warm room to allow dough to rise (1 to 2 hours).

Once dough has risen, knead on floured surface and roll into rectangular shape. Spread margarine onto dough and then sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon. Roll dough long wise.

Spray an 8 inch spring form pan with non-stick spray and line the bottom with parchment paper. Cut dough into 1 1/2 inch thick rounds and place into spring form pan making a circular pattern. Cover and place in warm room for 1 hour to rise.

Preheat oven to 350*. Place buns into oven and bake for 25 minutes, covering the buns in aluminum foil at the 15 minute mark.

While buns are baking, prepare the maple drizzle. In a bowl add margarine, icing sugar, milk and maple syrup. Using an electric mixer, combine all ingredients until smooth.

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The greatest part about sports? Hands down, game over: fan culture. The greatest fan culture in North American sports? Easy, college football.

Stadiums are packed with upwards of tens of thousands decked in their school colours and screaming whatever traditional chant they know. Waiting hours in line with painted faces, custom t-shirts and bristol board signs all in an attempt to be caught on ESPN College Game Day broadcast. It’s. The. Best.

So really this is only fitting snack that matches the outlandish passion of these fans and the essences of the university diet all while celebrating the kicking off the 2018 College Football season. Roll Tide!

Salted Caramel & Chocolate Dipped Chips

1 bag Ruffles, plain

20 caramel squares

2 tbsp whipping cream

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 tbsp shortening

Coarse sea salt

Assembling the Chips

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place caramels and whipping cream in a microwave safe bowl. Put in microwave for 30 seconds and stir until smooth caramel sauce forms.

Dip chips into caramel to cover approximately 1/2 the chip and place on parchment paper. Place in freezer or fridge for 10 minutes to cool.

While caramel dipped chips are cooling, combine shortening and chocolate chips in a bowl. Microwave or double boil on stove top to melt chocolate. Dip caramel chips into chocolate and place back on parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Immediately sprinkle with coarse sea salt.

Place back in fridge or let sit at room temperature for chocolate to set.

With the start of the most glorious and delicious season comes my last instalment of the #SweatingForTheWedding recipes. So before I can go all Taylor Swift ‘Begin Again’ on this new season, I’m sending this bridesmaid wedding prep off with a pumpkin spice bang jam packed with nutrients. These are so easy to make and are the perfect pre-workout munchies on the heavenly, crisp autumn mornings!

Pumpkin Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies

2 1/2 cup oats

1 cup pumpkin purée

1 tbsp cinnamon

3 tbsp chai seeds

1 1/2 tbsp flax seeds

1/4 cup white chocolate carob chips or regular white chocolate chips

Assembling the Breakfast Cookies

Preheat oven to 350* and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl combine oats, pumpkin, and seeds. Mix until fully combined.

Roll dough into 1-2inch balls and flatten into circular patty shape.

Bake for 10 minutes. Let cool on wire rack.

In a microwave safe bowl, melt carob chips or chocolate in 15 second intervals, stirring each time. Once melted, lightly drizzle over cookies.

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Finally, this weekend was the first hot weekend in nearly 10 months! With the promise of summer officially just around the corner (and my birthday), I got the sweet reminder of how magical summer nights are. The sun sets deep into the night, the smiles on friend’s faces are brighter and the stresses of the world seem to fade into the humidity. The world need s’more summer nights, so here’s a treat to match the magic of the season of sunshine, freckles, and late nights.

Assembling the Bark:

Once chocolate is melted, pour melted chocolate into a 9X13 pan lined with parchment paper.

In a microwave safe bowl, microwave the white chocolate in 30 second intervals until it is melted. Once melted, add spoonfuls of the white chocolate to the semi-sweet chocolate. Using a knife swirl the white and semi-sweet chocolate together.

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The spring time always makes me think of the elegant, eccentric gardens and the high class society who graced the hallways in the Palace of Versailles. Every spring, after we’ve been blasted with our last snow fall, I find myself longing for the elegance of spring in Versailles. Since Versailles is a little longer than a road trip away, I embarked on the tedious task of recreating the fragile and decedent treat that encompasses all the magic of Versailles in spring: French Macarons.

Raspberry Almond Milk Macarons

1 cup icing sugar

3/4 almond flour

2 egg whites

1/4 cup super fine sugar

Pinch of cream of tartar

Your favourite food colouring (optional)

Filling

3 tbsp raspberry puree

1/2 cup butter, softened

4 tbsp shortening

2 cup icing sugar

3-4 tbsp almond milk, vanilla or unsweetened

Assembling the Macarons

Preheat your oven to 375*. Spray a macaron pan with non-stick spray.

In a food processor, combine almond flour and icing sugar. Pulse for 5-6 minutes until well combined. Sift twice.

In a stand mixer, whip egg whites until foamy. Add in cream of tartar and sugar. Whip until soft peaks form. Add food colouring, if using, and whip softly until desired colour is achieved.